Digging in the vault - you just never know what you're going to find!
I ran across this tape the other day and had almost completely forgotten about it. April 29, 1967 - KHJ Appreciation Night at The Hollywood Bowl. Buffalo Springfield was the opening act with Brenda Holloway and The Seeds filling out the bill. Buffalo Springfield were just at the point of breaking into the charts. On this particular night, they premiered their latest single "Mr. Soul", a song that would later become something of an anthem for a lot of people, myself included. I remember seeing Buffalo Springfield play at my high school dance when I was a sophomore. A lot of bands did that at the time - it was good exposure and the audience was a sure bet. One of the bright sides of being a teenager in Los Angeles at the time.
One note - there is a good reason why this recording hasn't been reissued in any of the Springfield packages. The sound, although from the board, just isn't all that good. The vocals distort and there is a high-pitched electronic squeal throughout (which I spent hours getting rid of, thanks to ProTools!) But there's no way around distortion aside from trying to minimize it. Ultimately though, this is a historic, never-before-heard recording. An important document of a defining time in music. It's also a tribute to the work of Dewey Martin, whose drumming is a powerhouse standout on this track.
